Galloway admits to affair with student
Professor says he was cleared of sexual assault
VANCOUVER • Steven Galloway has broken his silence for the first time since he was fired from the University of British Columbia, where he was head of the creative writing program.
The mysterious firing in June led to rumours of sexual assault, harassment and bullying for months, and divided the Canadian writing community after a group of prominent writers published an open letter calling for an independent inquiry into UBC’s conduct of the affair.
Margaret Atwood, one of the writers who signed the open letter, compared UBC’s handling of the situation to the Salem witch trials.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his lawyer, Brent Olthuis, Galloway expressed regret for his actions, the harm they have caused and confirmed an accusation of sexual assault.
However, the statement also states an investigation led by retired judge Mary Ellen Boyd found that that claim was unsubstantiated. It notes that “specific complaints of a sexual nature” were limited to one complainant.
“After an exhaustive review of the whole of the evidence, Ms. Boyd found on a balance of probabilities that Mr. Galloway had not committed sexual assault,” the statement said. “Of the other allegations made against Mr. Galloway, Ms. Boyd found that one constituted a violation of UBC policy.
“The sole complaint substantiated was that Mr. Galloway engaged in inappropriate behaviour with a student. Both the student and Mr. Galloway were married at the time. The relationship developed into an affair that lasted approximately two years.”
The statement says Galloway “does not seek to minimize it or hide from it. He seeks fair treatment for all involved, and an end to the scurrilous assertions and accusations that have proliferated in the vacuum of information.”
Galloway was suspended with pay in November 2015 after the initial allegations against him were made. UBC appointed Boyd to head the probe and then fired Galloway after the lengthy investigation, with no severance pay.
The administration concluded “there was a record of misconduct that resulted in an irreparable breach of the trust placed in faculty members by the university, its students and the general public,” according to Philip Steenkamp, UBC’s vicepresident of external relations.
However, the university’s faculty association said it had “serious concerns with the university administration’s misleading public and private comments regarding Professor Galloway” and continues to defend him in a grievance process, which is set to go to arbitration in March.
Those close to the situation have stated privately that Galloway did not dispute the report’s findings because he felt they cleared him of the most serious allegations. The vague information and rumours around Galloway’s dismissal have led to him being linked to rape culture in online posts, with many comparing his case to the Jian Ghomeshi legal ordeal.
Neither the faculty association nor UBC have immediately responded to Postmedia’s calls to comment